Liar, Liar
by Firestorm Nauralagos
Summary: Against all odds, Donna recovered from a horrific injury-and managed the impossible task of walking once more. Her cheerful demeanor and overwhelming spirit may be enough to brighten any room, but entering Ravenwood a year earlier than is legal-with immature magical powers, a complex lie to keep up with, and a serious limp-may prove to be too much of a challenge. Completed.
1. Chapter 1: Pants on Fire

_**A/N:**__ This is the back-story of Donna Dragonflame, the Pyromancer from The Destiny of Fire's Song._

_**Disclaimer:**__ Hmm . . . Eureka! I've got it! A potion that will make me the owner of Wizard101! *Drinks potion* *Head explodes in a cartoon like fashion* WAAAAAAAAH!_

_**Thanks to my beta reader, Ms Amber! :)**_

Donna smiled as she danced, listening to the music of the wind and the rain. The dark clouds brewed in the sky, the thunder roared, the lightening scarred the darkness, and the raindrops pounded down, creating a different sound on the roofs, the sidewalk, the road, everything. It pinged off the gutters and cars, taptaptapped on the roads and sidewalks, and clicked against the rooftops, windows, and shutters. The noise would cause most adults to groan and complain about the mess their pets/children would get into in the mud, about their poor, flooded gardens, and about their already rusting car. The children would moan that their sports game was canceled, they couldn't go outside, and they had to read or do their homework. The dogs would howl at the noise, and the cats would hide under the sofas. Not Donna. She loved the rain. Rain gave things life. It sang with a voice of its own. It refreshed the world, wiped the slate clean, cleansed the air. Rain was beautiful. She tried to sing along, but her happy, cheerful voice was drowned out by the singing of the rain. Her wide brown eyes were closed with pleasure, her short, chestnut colored hair plastered to her forehead and neck. She laughed, throwing her arms out and spinning as fast as she could. She quickly got dizzy and fell, still laughing. When the world had stopped spinning, she jumped to her feet and resumed her dancing. She twirled, skipped, jumped, laughed, dancing in absolute happiness. The neighbors scoffed, the other children laughed, but Donna ignored them all. There was just her and the rain's song.

"Donna! Come in before you get sick," Selina Dragonflame called, trying to be heard over the noise. She flinched as she stared out at her daughter, who was drenched to the bone and still out there, laughing and dancing.

"I won't get sick, Mom! The rain's my friend! It won't hurt me," the ten year old girl called back, smiling brightly. She never stopped her joyful dance.

"Fine. Five minutes, and then I want you inside! Do you hear me?" But Donna was already gone, lost once more in the world of the rain.

_**THE NEXT DAY**_

Donna was on her way home from pre-magic school when her day was ruined. As usual, she was singing to herself, smiling and skipping home, being careful not to step on the cracks or on any bugs she saw. The girl looked across the road. There was an enormous red butterfly sitting on the fence, and she waved to it.

"Look who it is! It's the Cuckoo Bird," someone laughed. Donna turned, her happy smiling changing into a small frown. It was the three boys in her pre-magic class: Henry, Jake, and Bryce. Bryce was the one that had called her Cuckoo Bird. Henry and Jake laughed, pointing to her. "So, Cuckoo Bird, who were you waving to," Bryce asked her, smirking.

"My name's Donna, and I was waving to the butterfly over there," she said softly.

"What butterfly? There's no butterfly." Donna turned and pointed across the street, where the butterfly had sat.

"It's right . . . there?" It was gone.

"She's lying again. Figures, doesn't it?"

"Yeah."

"No kidding." Bryce turned back to Donna and grinned wider. His eyes laughed at her, taunted her, dared her to respond.

"I'm-I'm not lying. There was a butterfly. It was right there, just a second ago," she protested as they walked forwards, backing her up to the street. The boys began their mocking, singsong chant:

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Tears bubbled at the corners of Donna's eyes, and she sniffed quietly.

"Leave me alone," she muttered, rubbing furiously at her eyes. She didn't notice Trevor, the fourth boy, sneak up behind her. In his hand was a lit match, which he held up to her pant leg. Once the light blue fabric had lit, he waved the match back and forth, turned, and ran across the street. Donna turned to stare at him, having heard his footsteps that time.

"Hahahahaha! Donna's got her pants on fire, Donna's got her pants on fire," the boys laughed, pointing at her.

"No, they're no- EEEEK!" She had noticed the flames, and they had started to creep up her leg, sizzling against her skin. She dropped to the ground, bawling and screaming bloody murder. The three boys ran past her, still laughing. Bryce stopped before he passed her.

"By the way, here's the butterfly," he whispered in her ear, dropping something on the ground. It was a squished, bright red butterfly. Donna sobbed harder, slapping at the flames. They didn't go out.

"MOMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" She howled, hitting the fire harder. Selina sprinted out of the house and across the street, followed closely by Greg Dragonflame, Donna's father.

"Donna!" Greg, a Pyromancer, pulled his wand out of his back pocket and killed the flames instantly, and then Selina rolled up Donna's pant leg a little and healed the burn.

"What happened?" her father asked angrily.

"The four boys-lit me on fire *sob* again," Donna cried, pulling her knees close to her chest. The tears were flowing freely now, and her face was stained with them.

"Greg, can't you do anything about them?" Selina tutted worriedly. "Someday, those boys are seriously going to hurt Donna! She's only ten; she can't possibly defend herself against four boys!"

"I'll talk to their parents; maybe that will do some good. Oh, and write a note for Donna to stay out of school tomorrow; I want to make sure her burns are healed." Selina nodded, frowning at the burn on Donna's leg. Greg turned and crossed the street, heading for the house six doors down: Jake's house. Selina turned her attention back to Donna.

"Don't cry, Donna. Think about it: next year, you'll be going to Ravenwood, and as far as I've heard, you're one of the only ones who is. You'll never have to see those boys again."

"But I still have to wait a whole year, " Donna wailed. "Can't I go sooner?"

"Well . . . " Her mother looked uncertain.

"PLEASE?"

"I'll discuss it with your father and see what he thinks. I don't see why you can't go a year early; you're very smart for your age."

"Thanks, Mom," Donna sniffed.

_**A/N:**__ I've decided what Donna's theme song is. Look up "Hey Hey" by Superchic[k] on youtube and listen to THE WHOLE THING, not just the first four seconds. It really gets good around 27 seconds. The song is about crazy people! XD_


	2. Chapter 2: Fire and Butterflies

_**A/N: **__This story hasn't been getting as much attention as my other ones, so I decided to give it some love, finally. Hopefully it will be a decent chapter, although my Muse is currently lurking in my Lord of the Rings story._

_In response to my reviews:_

_Ms Amber: No problem. :) I think that all beta's deserve credit for the stories they work so hard to improve. :)_

_Poisoned Amethyst: Sorry I took so long on the update! As I said, though, I haven't been getting much inspiration for Donna recently._

_Sportzdawg: You thought THAT was dramatic? Wait until the next few chapters! ;)_

_Scarletfireblaze: I'm glad you liked it! I plan on working my very hardest on this story, to make up for what happened in DoFS . . . to those of you that haven't read it, I won't give anything away, but you should read it at some point. I personally prefer that story over my others . . . Yes, the boys ARE pretty nasty. I get so mad when I write about them. This is usually what I work on when I'm in a rotten mood. You've read the Donna chapter in DoFS, right? So you know what they do later? DX_

Donna sat in her bed, her leg swathed in bandages, a coloring book in her lap, and a bright purple crayon in her hand. She was concentrating hard as she carefully colored in the picture of the butterfly. There was a knock on the door, and she looked up, the cheerful spark already back in her eyes.

"Come in," Donna called cheerfully. The door opened, and her parents stepped inside.

"May we sit down, Donna?" Her mother closed the door.

"Go ahead!" The two sat down on the end of her bed.

"We have some bad news, I'm afraid," Greg started. Donna looked up at those words.

"We-we contacted Mr. Lincoln, the registrar, and we asked if there was a way that someone could enter Ravenwood as a ten-year-old."

"He said no. There is to be absolutely no exception to the age limit, since magical powers don't generally work as well until you turn 11." Donna's face fell a mile when she heard those fatal words.

"But … did you tell them that I can't stay here?"

"We didn't mention any names, because we think we can get you in anyways."

"The Headmaster is a clever man, but no one there is clever enough to know someone's age with 100% accuracy. There are no tests, and so we believe that you can be snuck in a year early."

"You mean . . . you're going to LIE to the HEADMASTER?" Selina squirmed uncomfortably.

"Well, yes, but it's not going to do any harm. You won't be in actual combat for years, and you're smart enough to pick up on magic quickly, mature powers or no. Thankfully, the new school year starts in a few days, so we have time to make a few preparations before we leave."

"Yay! Mommy, Daddy, thank you so much!" Donna threw back her covers and crawled to the end of her bed, laughing as she pulled each of her parents into a tight hug. Over their daughter's shoulders, Selina and Greg smiled at each other nervously. They weren't entirely sure of their plan, and if it didn't work… the consequences could be horrific, for both themselves and Donna.

_**-TWO DAYS LATER -**_

Donna was overjoyed (well, more overjoyed than usual) as she skipped home from pre-magic school. It was her last day there, so she'd had to give out cupcakes to her teachers, say goodbye to all her friends, and tell the whole school that she was moving to Mareybone to stay with an aunt. Her parents had, she explained, wanted her to get a more in depth non-magic education instead of training to be a wizard. Everyone bought the story; no one would even think that she was joining Ravenwood early. She waved goodbye to the birds, the butterflies, and the flowers and trees, waved to the people in their houses who stared at her strangely, waved to the old ladies in their gardens who all waved back. Donna waved to the clouds and the sun and the sky.

"I'll see you soon," she called to them. "I'll come and dance again soon!"

"Who're you talking to, Cuckoo Bird?" She froze. Slowly, she turned. Sure enough, there stood Bryce, Henry, Jake and Trevor. They all had their hands behind their backs.

"Wh-what do you want?" she squeaked, unaccustomed to being hostile, even to the ones who had bullied her so much.

"We've got a little 'going-away present' for you. You know, to make up for what we did yesterday." He held out a small box. Cautiously, Donna opened it, and inside was a small blue butterfly.

"Oh, a butterfly! Thank you!" She smiled widely at Bryce, who smirked back. "I'll let it go, and then it can dance with the others." She reached into the box… pulled out the butterfly… and let it go. It flew into the air, and Donna laughed as she watched it. But then, everything went wrong.

The butterfly swooped down towards Donna, and she watched it, still smiling. Butterflies sometimes did that. Some liked to be closer to the ground.

Next, the butterfly landed on her pant leg, the one that was rolled up, exposing a tall, wrapped white bandage around her leg. Still normal. Some butterflies liked to land on people.

It crawled down her leg until it was sitting in the middle of the bandage. Donna had stopped laughing, and was just smiling, a smile that was slowly fading into a look of confusion. Why would a butterfly crawl right down her leg, and then stop on the bandage?

The butterfly's proboscis extended and touched the bandage. Possibly normal?

Flames spurted from the proboscis. NOT NORMAL! Donna screamed, swatting at the butterfly.

"GETOFFGETOFFGETOFF!" She shrieked in pain as the flames burnt through her bandages, the fire hungrily licking her sore, bright red scar. The boys laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Donna just howled louder, her shrill screams piercing the air like a knife blade.

The pain was blinding. It felt like a dozen sharp combs were being raked across her newly scabbing burn, and like a monster was chewing off her leg from the hip. Was it suddenly nighttime? No, now it was daytime again . . . night . . . day . . . night . . . day . . . as she slipped in and out of consciousness, she saw very blurred images of three people approaching. What were they wearing? One was dressed all in golden red, and a glowing haze surrounded . . . him? Her? The second was clearly a woman, a woman in light blue and white. The third was a man in dark purple and gold.

"Are you here to bring me to the Tritons?" she mumbled, staring at them through half-closed eyelids.

"Shh. No, little one. It's okay. You're not dead. You will live-for now. It is not your time to join us," the woman in blue reassured her, touching her forehead. Her hand was as cold as ice.

"You will die young, yes, but not that young."

"Hush, Tempest. You must not reveal her destiny now. Later. Much later. For now, she is young and scared."

"You will . . ." The voices fizzled out, and the images became blurry.

"Wait! Don't leave!"

"I'm not leaving, baby girl. You're going to be okay." Donna snapped open her eyes. It was no longer blurry. Night and day were no longer switching so quickly. It was quiet, the pain wasn't bad, and the sky was . . . white?

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You're in the Theurgist Department, Donna." She recognized the voice.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, I'm here. So's your dad." The voice sounded tearful, like she was trying not to cry.

"Sleepy," Donna murmured. She heard her mother say something else, but everything faded to oblivion, and sleep claimed her. This time, there were no visions of Tempest, Blaze and Snowstorm, who Donna would not think of for many years.

_**A/N:**__ Yes, I am so evil as to leave you with a cliff hanger. XD Hey, at least I updated it, finally! :D Updates will be quicker now, hopefully, as long as I don't have too much homework. (midterms. xP)_


	3. Chapter 3: Hospital

_**A/N: **__I don't even want to know how long it's been since I updated … *Shakes fist at sky* CURSE YOU, WRITER'S BLOCK! O.o Anywho …_

_Thanks to my reviewers: SportzDawg, LexiLopezi and scarletfireblaze! :D_

_In response to my reviews:_

_SportzDawg: :) Yep. I was getting a few questions about that in DoFS; I told them that I would explain it in this story. It's sad, though . . . I seem to be in a very sad-writing kind of mood lately. You should see what I've got planned for DoFS … _

_Scarletfireblaze: Thank you! :) Yep, it's ONLY the blue butterflies that she's afraid of . . ._

_LexiLopezi: *Gestures towards the boys* Be my guest! xD_

_**THREE DAYS LATER**_

Donna yawned and stretched. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking in the sunlight.

"Good morning, Donna. How are you feeling today?" She turned her head and smiled cheerfully.

"I'm feeling really good today! How are you, Miss Cathie?"

"I'm quite well, thank you. Time for your medicine, and I need to switch your bandages." The young Theurgist handed her a small cup filled with purplish, grape flavored syrup, which Donna eyed in disgust.

"It tastes yucky, though!" She whined.

"Sorry. You have to drink it; otherwise you'll never get better." Donna grimaced as she poured the medicine into her mouth, shuddering at the taste. She immediately took the glass of water from her bedside and downed half of it. Miss Cathie carefully cut open the bandages on Donna's right leg, and then she peeled them off. The burn was still a bright, angry red, but it was starting to scab over. Cathie breathed a sigh of relief. Her superiors had been worried that the burn would never heal. Now all that was left was for her to walk …

"Good morning, Mommy and Daddy!" Donna called, waving to someone behind Cathie's back. The Theurgist turned.

"Oh! Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Dragonflame," she said, smiling cheerfully. "I'm just changing her bandages now; the burn is starting to scab, and it's healing up nicely. If all goes well, she will be out of the hospital in a week or two." Selina breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the Titans … we were so worried!"

"I'm okay, Mommy!" Donna smiled.

"Cathie, what do the Theurgists think about her walking?" Greg murmured in her ear.

"Well, sir … I honestly don't know," she replied sheepishly, shrugging. "You'll have to ask my superiors. I believe Kelly Greenstar will be in soon, and maybe Brian Goldblossom. They'll be able to answer your question." He nodded, and then stepped a short distance away. Donna went on chattering about her dinner the night before, how disgusting the medicine tasted, the butterflies she'd seen dancing outside her window, the sun, the clouds, the flowers the Theurgists had brought her, the picture she'd just finished coloring, and on, and on, and on. She paused only when the door opened, and the Theurgists Kelly Greenstar and Brian Goldblossom stepped inside. They smiled and waved to Donna before pulling her parents aside.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dragonflame, there's a bit of bad news," Brian started.

"We've done some X-Rays and tests on Donna's leg, and we just got the results today. I'm afraid there's a very low chance that she'll ever walk again," Kelly finished, looking extremely apologetic. Selina gave a small gasp, pressing her hand to her mouth, and then she began to cry, covering her eyes with her hands.

"Are you sure? Is there any way, any possibility at all?" Greg asked urgently.

"It's possible, but it's extremely unlikely, sir. The tissue and muscles were badly damaged, and there might even be some deeper nerve damage that we haven't seen yet. If that's the case, it will be nearly impossible for her to walk. She could possibly use a crutch, or if you all agree, she could have her bad leg removed and get a prosthetic leg. Either way, she will never be quite the same."

"Hey, Mommy, Daddy, Miss Cathie, Mr. Goldblossom, Mrs. Greenstar! Look at me!" The cheery voice rang out behind them, and the five people turned. Standing up-no, walking in circles, holding her I.V., was Donna!

"Donna! You're … walking!" Selina gasped.

"Not possible! The tests proved it … she wasn't supposed to be able to stand for another few days, at the very least!" Brian Goldblossom exclaimed.

Cathie just smiled.

"Just because the tests say I won't walk, that doesn't mean I won't walk!" Donna laughed. Her parents smiled. Kelly nudged Brian with her elbow and nodded towards Donna.

"Look at how she's walking," she murmured in his ear. Brian looked. True, Donna was walking, but she had a heavy limp, and the girl was leaning heavily on her I.V.

"She'll need therapy to walk without a crutch," he whispered back, "… if she even gets that far."

"I have faith in her. She's been blessed by the Dragons themselves, that one," Kelly replied.

-ONE WEEK LATER-

"Bye, Miss Cathie! Bye, Mrs. Greenstar and Mr. Goldblossom!" Donna called, waving to the Theurgists as she limped out of the hospital with her parents, leaning on her mother's arm. The three Theurgists waved back. One had his fingers crossed behind his back, praying for the safety and success of the little girl, unsure how long she would last with her limp. One believed tentatively that the Dragons, who seemed to favor her, would continue to help her. The third believed firmly that Donna would succeed, and that with her cheerful, friendly demeanor, she would go far in the world.

In a way, they were all right.

_**A/N:**__ To those of you that read The Destiny of Fire's Song, I am aware that I made this chapter significantly different than in the Donna's Special Moments chapter. That was done on purpose; I didn't want you to have to read the same thing twice. xD _

_On another note, I've recently started reading a Wizard101 story called "The Descendants" by Speak to the Sun and Whisper to the Moon. (It's on WttM's profile) They're working on editing some of their grammar mistakes, but the plot and characterization are excellent, and I think it's going well. If you need something new to read, I suggest you check it out. :) _


	4. Chapter 4: Late Registration

_**A/N: **__Well, my Muse has finally woken up for this story! I'm glad I managed to update this so quickly, and I hope you like it! :)_

There was so much to look at in the Commons. Bright colors, beautiful flowers, butterflies and other magical creatures galore, and more people than Donna had ever seen before in her life. They were talking, laughing, walking back and forth, playing with their pets, sitting in the shade, playing in the water, just standing quietly. Donna was sure she could never get enough of the place.

"Donna, stop daydreaming. We've got to hurry; you've already missed the first week of classes, so you need to hurry and be registered. Don't forget, you're 11, not ten," Selina hissed, tugging on her daughter's arm. The ten year old nodded and hurried after her mother, staring over her shoulder at an absolutely beautiful white horse with flower woven into its blue mane. Its owner, a girl dressed all in green, was leaning up against it, her arms folded and a sullen expression on her face. She noticed Donna staring, and shot the young girl a nasty glare before turning to the horse and climbing onto its back. Donna turned back to her parents.

"Do I get to meet the Headmaster? What was his name again? Wasn't it Headmaster Ambrose? Isn't he from Avalon? I heard he founded the city; did he really? Do the trees really talk here? What school do you think I'll be in? Will I be any good? Will the other kids be nice?" Donna was rambling slightly more than usual, her happy voice tainted by traces of worry. "Will-"

"Donna! Just shush! You'll find everything out when you've entered the school!" Greg snapped. Donna went silent, ashamed.

Her parents steered her towards a huge brick building that towered over the Commons. "This is the Headmaster's Office," Donna's father explained. "Remember what we told you, and keep quiet unless he speaks directly to you." Donna nodded, and Greg pushed open the door, ushering her forwards as he entered the building.

She was almost instantly transfixed by the room. The walls were bright scarlet with shining gold symbols on them, the carpet was soft and almost bouncy, and there were BOOKS! Books everywhere; heaps and heaps of them, piled into messy stacks that Selina inspected disapprovingly.

"Yes? May I help you?" An elderly man peered around a pile of books, holding a few in his arms.

"Hello, Headmaster Ambrose. May we speak with you?"

"Of course. Let me just set these books down." He dropped the heavy volumes onto his desk with a BOOM, and then he adjusted his monocle before turning back to the Dragonflames. "Ah, Selina and Gregory Dragonflame! It's wonderful to see you again. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Headmaster," Donna's mother started, "…our daughter Donna missed registration day. She's been in the hospital with a nasty burn on her leg."

"Oh, dear. That's not good at all. Are you 11, my dear?" He peered down at her, and Donna felt slightly nervous under his stare.

"Yeah. I'm Donna Dragonflame. Nice to meet you, Headmaster Ambrose." She let out a small sigh of relief, glad she'd remembered her "new age." The Headmaster smiled warmly at her.

"Welcome to Ravenwood, Donna." He turned to her parents. "I was just cleaning up from registration, but I do believe there's time for her to take the registration test." Donna gulped.

"There's a test?"

"Not a hard test, my dear, just some questions about you. Now, Selina and Gregory, if you could, please step outside for a minute. This test is a private matter." He watched as the Dragonflames left, and then picked up an enormous book, turned it to a page somewhere in the middle, and set it on a pedestal. "Come closer, Donna." He waved her over with a red quill. "Please answer every question honestly, and tell me when you're finished." Donna nodded, took the quill, and stood in front of the book.

_What is your favorite creature?_

Donna thought carefully, and then wrote in "Butterfly."

_What is the most powerful force in the Spiral?_

That one was easy; volcanoes were very powerful. Donna had once seen a movie where an eruption destroyed an entire town in Dragonspyre.

_What is your favorite season?_

She ended up writing in "all of them," since every season was beautiful.

There were six more questions on the list, and the moment Donna set the quill down, the words disappeared.

"Headmaster, the words just-"

"I know, young one. Watch." She fidgeted as she stared at the book, waiting for something to happen. And then it did: a bit of orange appeared on the blank page, and then some red and yellow, and slowly, the word "Fire" painted itself onto the page.

"It says 'fire,'" Donna said, surprised. More painted flames began to appear, forming a golden red border around the word.

"That means that you are a Pyromancer, Donna." He smiled warmly at her. "Congratulations."

"A Pyromancer …" The School of Fire. She was intrigued, and also a bit curious. Why fire, and right after the burn, too! "Can I go tell my parents?"

"As soon as you have your Novice robes and your wand," the Headmaster replied, waving his staff over her head. Donna's clothes changed into a long scarlet robe, red boots, and a pointed hat, and a short, thick brown wand appeared in her hand. She smiled.

"Thank you very much, Headmaster."

"Of course, my dear. If you ever need any help, do ask me or any of the students around you. Most of the people here are very friendly, and will be willing to aid you. In your spellbook-" at this, he handed her a small brown book, "… you will all that you need to know. There is a map, supply lists, and schedules that you may find helpful. Good luck in your studies, Donna Dragonflame."

"Bye!" She limped outside, balancing herself by placing a hand on the wall.

"Donna! How'd it go?" Selina called, hurrying to take Donna's arm.

"Great! I'm a Pyromancer!" She laughed. Her mother's face paled.

"Oh … I-I'm so sorry, Donna … maybe we can get it changed to some-"

"No, I don't want it changed! I like fire; it's pretty, and it's only bad if someone bad has it. The fire didn't choose to hurt my leg; the boys did," she explained, smiling broadly. Selina nodded slowly.

"If you're sure …"

"I'm sure. I want to be a Pyromancer," Donna said firmly, flipping open her spellbook. "This says that the Pyromancer class starts in 15 minutes, and the School of Fire is the third one on the right. Come on; we have time to tour before it starts!"

The three set off for Ravenwood.

_**A/N: **__Meh … crappy ending. Well, next chapter, she gets to meet a certain girl from The Destiny of Fire's Song … anyone know who it is? ;)_


	5. Chapter 5: Meetings

_**A/N:**__ I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry it's been so long! O_O Danged camp … danged school … I've been so busy I've barely had time to BREATHE. O_O I've got a planner and a schedule and EVERYTHING now, though. I feel so ORGANIZED! XD I will have this updated at LEAST once more before Halloween, more if homework (*Makes sign against evil*) allows it. xD _

_**Thanks very much to my awesome beta reader, Ms Amber! :D**  
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Donna never got to have her tour. As she and her parents were passing the Fire School, a tall, black haired man dressed in red stepped outside.

"Hello! Are you the Fire Professor?" Donna called, waving. The tall man turned towards them.

"Yes, I am Professor Firesong. Are you a new student?" His voice was heavily accented, although Donna wasn't sure what kind of accent it was. Before she got a chance to answer (and to ask about sixteen questions) her mother spoke up.

"Hello, sir. This is our daughter, Donna Dragonflame. She started a week early due to an injury, but she's hoping to catch up to the other students quickly," Selina told the man pleasantly.

"Oh, yes, I noticed your crutch, young Donna. I do hope that you are feeling better now. As for catching up, well, the other students have already learned Fire Cat and are working on mastering it, but if you stay for extra help during a free period, I would be happy to help you. Fire Cat isn't a difficult spell, after all." He gave her a small, sad smile. The Fire Professor seemed very tired and depressed; Donna wondered what had made him that way.

Before Donna got a chance to reply, a white owl flew over their heads and perched on a fence post.

"Good day, Donna! My name is Gamma, and I bring a message from the Headmaster! He wishes for you to return to his office, and he apologizes for not taking care of this matter sooner. He has found you a possible guide to Ravenwood!"

"A guide?" Donna stared at the owl in surprise. What did she need a guide for? Who would it be? The questions fired rapidly through her head, but she managed to refrain from asking them all.

"Of course! As a late arrival, you will be receiving a guide to help you find your way around Ravenwood, and to help you catch up on your studies. Do come along, young wizard; your guide is waiting for you. Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Dragonflame." Donna waved to her parents before hobbling after the owl.

-V-

The young Pyromancer wasn't quite sure what to expect, and it made her nervous. She liked to know what was going to happen; surprises weren't fun. Except for surprise parties, that is. Those were fun. And presents … Donna shook her head, trying to get rid of the uncontrollable torrent of thoughts rushing through her mind. However, as she stepped into the Headmaster's Office, she couldn't help herself from blurting out a stream of thoughts.

"Hi, Headmaster Ambrose! Ravenwood's so pretty! There are so many trees and they all talk! I saw a whole bunch of butterflies and some of the wizards even had wings like butterflies! I haven't been to my dorm room yet; will I like it there? Gamma said that I had to have a guide. Is she here? Is she nice? What's her name?" She paused when she noticed the dark haired girl beside the Headmaster, staring at her. Ambrose smiled gently at her.

"Donna, this is Brooke Swiftriver. She is a level two Diviner, and she will be your guide to Ravenwood. Brooke, this is Donna Dragonflame, the girl you will be guiding."

"Nice to meet you! How old are you? Are you eleven, like me? What's your favorite color? What school are you taking for your secondary school? I'm doing Storm; the teacher's really nice and funny and Storm looks like lots of fun! Hey, why are you covering your eye like that?" She paused, having asked the question she really did want answered, along with all of the extra stuff that had come out as well.

"You … you promise you won't freak out or anything?" Brooke whispered. The Pyromancer nodded, not trusting herself to open her mouth again. Slowly, the Diviner removed her hand, revealing a reddish- purple scar over her eye. Donna was a bit surprised, but the scar didn't seem nearly as scary as the one on her leg; if it was, in fact, a burn, Brooke's was much older than Donna's.

"Did you get burned? I got burned, too, except I got burned on my leg by some nasty boys and a blue butterfly. That's why I can't walk very well and I have a crutch and I have to be really careful whenever I do anything." She pouted, trying to cross her arms while holding the crutch. Brooke nodded slightly.

"Don't mind her too much; young Donna is always like this, from what her parents have told me," the Headmaster informed the Diviner. "I'm sure that the two of you will be good friends."

"Hey, that's a good idea! We should be friends! Do you have a best friend, Brooke? I don't; none of the other kids on Firecat Alley were very nice." Donna frowned.

"No … I don't really have any friends. My scar … everyone's scared of me," Brooke informed her.

"Oh. Well, that means that we can be best friends, then!" The Pyromancer gave Brooke a wide grin. Slowly, the Diviner nodded.

"Yeah. Best friends." For the first time, she smiled, albeit nervously. She reached out her left hand to shake Donna's.

_**A/N: **__A little shorter than I would have liked, but oh, well. I'm having some Muse problems at the moment, so I have no idea when I'll get the next chapter done. I'll try to have it up by Halloween, but I make no promises. _


	6. Chapter 6: Important

_**A/N: **__Voila! Chapter six! In this chapter, the part where the two girls are novices will be SHORT. I will be switching to age 17 (or, in Donna's case, 16) pretty close to the beginning of this chapter. P.S. What did you think of the cover I drew? ;)  
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Brooke led Donna on a tour of the school, which had been built under the shade of a gigantic tree. Donna wished she had six more eyes to stare with; Ravenwood was so fantastic that she could barely take it all in with one trip. Each school was different; the stones, the roofs, the colors. There were trees everywhere- even ones that could talk! - and flowers grew wild around the base of the enormous tree, who the novice Pyromancer learned was called Bartleby. There were dozens upon dozens of students, all of them dressed in vibrant shades of every color imaginable. Some had pets, and Donna paused to pet a few. Some of the students even wore giant butterfly wings on their backs, which they could use to fly! The butterflies themselves were everywhere, in every color there was, in at least twelve different sizes, with soft gossamer wings that seemed to emit a gentle glow.

The final stop on the tour was to the Dorm Registration, where an adept Pyromancer named Simeon stood over a huge book, flipping through the pages and taking notes in the margins. He looked up as Brooke and Donna approached.

"Hello, girls! What can I do for you?" He asked cheerfully, setting down his pen.

"We need to find the dorm room where Donna Dragonflame is staying," Brooke told him quietly.

"Donna Dragonflame? Okay, I'll check right now." He quickly flipped a thick section of pages over with a _thump, _and then he carefully scanned the pages, searching for her name. "Here it is! You are in room 782!" Brooke seemed startled. "Oh, it seems you have a roommate, Donna! Her name is Brooke Swiftriver." He smiled at her.

"Hey, that means _you're _my roommate, Brooke!" Donna exclaimed, clapping as she bounced on the balls of her feet. The Diviner smiled happily for the first time all day.

-SIX YEARS LATER-

Donna happily splashed in the pond in the Commons, laughing as she sprayed everyone within five feet of her. A few of the students laughed and splashed her back, although most just glared before relocating to a safer, dryer spot.

"Donna, come on! We've got to meet Alex at the library, and you're getting your brace all wet!" The Legendary Diviner laughed as her best friend waded back to the shore.

"Nuh-uh! I took it off, see?" Donna pointed to where her heavy white brace and her crutch lay under a tree.

"Someone could have stolen them, silly!" Brooke tried to scold her friend, but couldn't resist a smile. She held out an arm for Donna to support herself with, but the Pyromancer refused.

"I'm getting a little better at walking alone, remember?" She slowly limped over to the tree and sat down beneath it. Painstakingly, Donna rolled up her pant leg, wincing slightly as her fingernails scraped across the deep red scar. She slowly slid on the brace and tightened the straps before pulling herself to her feet. "Come on, let's go!" The two friends set out for the library, moving at a slightly faster pace once Donna had her crutch.

They never arrived at their destination. As they were crossing the Rainbow Bridge, the entire ground shook, forcing Brooke to clutch the bridge for support and throwing Donna clean off her feet, sending the crutch clattering across the stones.

"Donna! Are you okay?" The Diviner gasped, rushing over to help up her friend.

"I'm fine, but what was that? Was it an earthquake? Did something explode? What's going on? Is anyone hurt? Is something happening to Ravenwood? What-"

"Hush, Donna! I don't know what it is, but it certainly sounded like it came from Ravenwood! Come on; we've got to go!" Brooke gave a piercing whistle, and an enormous shark appeared in front of the two girls. "Come on, Storm! Take me and Donna to Ravenwood!" She called as she pulled Donna onto the shark's back.

Storm swam through the air like it was water, straining to reach Ravenwood quickly. He glided through the tunnel and paused just in front of the Boy's Dorm Tower, where Donna and Brooke dismounted. Donna smiled shakily at the mount before hobbling after Brooke, who was sprinting towards the Fire School.

The Pyromancer was horrified by what she saw. Black tendrils of light were weaving their way out of the Death School and slowly penetrating the ground, pulling the School clean away from Ravenwood. A group of students in Initiate robes were dashing out of the Death School, screaming at the tops of their lungs. Other students and professors ran to and fro; some were trying to stop the Death School, while others were running from the danger it presented. Brooke was already at the Fire School, speaking rapidly to a Theurgist.

"…and Alex will be here soon, so all we can do is wait, really! There's not much we can do!" The Theurgist- who Donna knew was Destiny Greenblossom, one of Brooke's friends- was saying.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing! He's tearing the Death School away, and there could still be Initiates in that school!" The Diviner argued fiercely.

"Why don't we go ask Professor Firesong what to do?" Donna cut in timidly, hobbling closer to the other two girls. Brooke and Destiny turned to her in surprise.

"That's a good idea, Donna. I think we should do that," the Theurgist agreed, staring pointedly at Brooke. The three hurried inside the Fire School.

The Fire professor was hunched over his desk, head in hands, staring aimlessly at a piece of paper. As they approached him, he glanced up tiredly.

"Before you say anything, I'm afraid I don't know what to do, girls. I'm sorry."

"Professor Firesong, Alexandra's on her way, but until she gets here to stop Malistaire, we need to keep him from entirely disappearing! Please, you've got to help!" Destiny pleaded. Patrick Firesong slammed his hand down onto the piece of paper.

"And what, pray tell, do you suggest that I do?" He yelled. "Malistaire is more powerful than anyone here, and I doubt that even my daughter will be able to stop him this time!"

"Then she'll die!" Brooke screamed, throwing her hands in the air. "She may not even acknowledge you any longer, _oh brave and responsible professor, _but Alex is still your daughter! She's about to sacrifice herself to try and save Wizard City, and you're sitting here staring at a piece of PAPER! Even if _you _won't acknowledge _her, _it's a part of your job to protect the students here!" The professor started to interrupt, but Brooke wasn't finished. "It's a parent's _duty _to keep their children safe, and given what you did to Alex, I'd say you owe her more than just _protection! _You owe her your _life!"_ Patrick Firesong stood up abruptly, shoving his chair back with such force, it fell over with a BANG.

However, when he tried to speak in anger, the words wouldn't come. He slowly shook his head and ran a hand through his thick black hair. "You … you're right, Miss Swiftriver," he slowly admitted at a barely audible tone. Carefully, he pulled a key from a thread around his neck and unlocked a box on his desk. From it, the Fire Professor pulled a neatly sealed envelope, stamped with what looked like the Fire School seal. However, as Donna peered at it more closely, she could see a string of musical notes curled around the fire emblem, instead of the customary dragon, which was in the center of the emblem, instead.

"What seal is _that?" _The Legendary Pyromancer couldn't help asking the question, although she succeeded in keeping back the string of others.

"It is my family's seal, the Firesong family seal. Miss Dragonflame, please take this letter, and take very good care of it. If I die today, please give this to my daughter, but only after you have proof of my death. Thank you, my dear." He handed her the letter, which Donna clutched tightly to her chest.

"I'll be very careful with it," she vowed solemnly, meaning every word. "I'll make sure that Alex gets it."


	7. Chapter 7: Questing

It was lucky that Professor Firesong had gone when he had. Alex arrived just seconds after he left, and without his interference, the young Necromancer would have run to her death in the disappearing school. Now, as the Death School fell with a final _crash, _Alex sat, dumbfounded, by one of Bartleby's large roots.

Destiny hesitantly approached her friend, speaking quietly into her ear and gently touching her shoulder. The Necromancer replied in a barely audible tone, standing up shakily. The Theurgist stared after her in shock as Alex slowly headed towards the Commons tunnel. Donna approached Destiny.

"Will she be okay, or should we go after her?" The Pyromancer asked softly. Destiny shook her head, still shocked.

"We shouldn't follow her … but I don't think she's okay. I think that … I think that the Alexandra we know was just ripped away with the Death School."

"You mean … that's a _clone?" _Donna asked, surprised. The Theurgist couldn't help but give a small smile.

"No, Donna. She's going to act really different now. I can tell." Without another word, Destiny disappeared in a cloud of leaves.

"What's going on, Brooke? What should we do?"

"I don't know, Donna. Maybe we should go see the Headmaster; he'll know what to do about all of this." The two friends set off for the Commons, following the stream of wizards all going the same direction. They both hoped that Merle Ambrose really _would _have answers …

-V-

It only took two days for them to receive word from Alexandra Firesong. Three of her extremely powerful pets had been taken captive by an accomplice of Malistaire's, Moira Moonchaser. Apparently, they were planning to use the pets to overthrow Wizard City, and Alex was bound and determined to hunt down their captors. She insisted that Donna and Brooke accompany her on the quest, along with a few of their other friends: Heather Rosegem, Evan Starblade, Destiny and Erica Bluestone. Another girl, a Thaumaturge by the name of Ashley Spellsword, had also been invited, and would be joining them at their first destination: the Unicorn Way Hedge Maze.

The group had set off immediately, knowing that Malistaire and this "Moira" person could strike at any moment, and from any place- they still hadn't located the Death School, although some of the other Legendary wizards were searching for it.

As Destiny had predicted, Alex was a very changed person. Most of the time, she would seem as though in a dream, kind of floating trance- like through life. However, whenever someone addressed her, the Necromancer snapped immediately to attention, almost as though she was startled, and would glare until they finished speaking. She would then respond in a dull, lifeless tone, usually clearing her face of any emotion, and she would use as few words as possible, often speaking in one or two word sentences. She kept to herself quite a lot, and once or twice, Donna had noticed a tear in her eye as they passed anything that could remind her of Sylvia or Malistaire. If the Necromancer was crying, however, she was very good at disguising it.

-V-

Weeks passed by as the group fought its way through Wizard City. Had Donna been a more observant person, she would have noticed subtle changes happening within each member of the group. Some became more nervous. Others grew quiet and solemn, and a few began to lose their tempers more quickly. Donna herself tried to keep the group's morale up with her silliness, her jokes and her rapid fire speaking on multiple topics- at the same time. It didn't always work, but she could often make them laugh.

Alexandra was the most obviously changing member of the group. They ended up having to fight- and kill- the Necromancer's three pets. In the case of Blackhope and Lunetta, she ended up having an emotional breakdown, but after being forced to kill Nightshade herself, Alex simply shut out all emotions. She wouldn't smile, wouldn't laugh … her expression was completely blank at all times. No matter how crazy Donna acted, the Necromancer refused to respond. It was as though she had ceased to exist inside, and it scared the young Pyromancer.

One day, as the group was setting up camp for the night in the Krokotopian desert, Donna simply approached Alex and hugged her tightly, refusing to let go even when the Necromancer protested loudly.

_"Don't go, Alexandra! Please stay!"_ She'd whispered, starting to cry as she'd hugged her friend.

_"What are you _talking _about? I'm not going anywhere," _the Necromancer had replied irritably- and yet she'd still never understood the full meaning of Donna's outburst. She'd clearly been shaken, though. However, as days and weeks went by, the Pyromancer only saw one of her dearest friends slip farther and farther away from her.

It was in Krokotopia that Donna changed the most. The group had been travelling through the Pyramid of Fire, helping the enslaved Manders and tracking a series of bizarre clues from Moira. Things had been going well- until the fire hit.

Donna and her group- Erica, Evan and Heather- had been off fighting a particularly troublesome Krok. Erica had received a message from Alex, an urgent plea for help.

_"We're trapped in the Throne Room, and it's on fire! Please, help us!" _The four had immediately rushed to the rescue, heading straight into a boiling hot tunnel to find their friends. Erica had tried to put out the flames from just within the tunnel, but Donna took a more direct route. She cast a Fire Shield, gripped the red and orange ward tightly, and dashed straight into the flaming Throne Room. Brooke was there … Brooke, with her terror of fire so extreme that she just might die of fright.

The Pyromancer cast four more shields and handed Ashley, Alex and Destiny each one. Brooke, however, was in just as bad of a state as Donna had feared: curled up on the floor, only half conscious and screaming her head off. The Pyromancer knew that she'd probably have to carry her best friend out, and she thanked the Dragon Titan that she'd left her brace and crutch in her tiger mount's saddlebag.

"Don't take me to the fire, Donna!" Brooke screamed, pulling Donna back to the present. She was dragging her friend towards the tunnel's entrance. Erica had managed to form a large hole in the flames, but there was still a fire burning around the edge of the tunnel, throwing Brooke into hysterics.

"Evan! Erica!" She yelled. "I need some help!" Hopefully, they had heard her request; smoke was building in the small room, throwing Donna into a coughing fit. Thankfully, the other two wizards dashed into the room, each one carrying a Fire Shield. "Take her! I'll keep the entry open!" As they glanced towards the archway into the Throne Room, the wizards realized that the supports were wobbling, and a few of them were cracking under the pressure and heat of the flames.

As Evan and Erica began pulling a screaming Brooke out of the Throne Room, Donna summoned a pair of helephants to hold up the archway. As long as she focused, the creatures would hold up the arch, but the strain on her was enormous. As she struggled to keep the helephants alive, the Pyromancer fell to her knees. Brooke was almost out … Brooke was almost safe …

_WHACK!_

Something hard slammed into the back of Donna's head, and she briefly felt dizzy.

"I'm sorry, Brooke!" She whispered, and then the world went black.


	8. Chapter 8: Trapped

_**A/N: **__Thanks to Gishki and scarletfireblaze for the reviews! :)_

When she awoke, everything was dark, damp and smelled of burning rubber. Donna sat up and looked around. She was sitting in a stone room that was divided into square cells. The iron bars that barred her way were hot to the touch, and the Pyromancer realized how hot it was in the room. She reached up to take off her helmet- only to find that it wasn't there. She looked around her cell. It wasn't very well furnished. There was a small pile of hay in one corner and a bucket of lukewarm water in another. A small crack ran from the ceiling to a stone block just above the level of Donna's head, and if she stood on her tiptoes, she could peer outside.

Despite being a Pyromancer, the fiery inferno outside was enough to make Donna cringe. Lava poured down a slope like a burning waterfall. Instead of sunlight, firelight flickered from torches and braziers, leaving ghostly dancing shadows on the red stone floor. The walls were made up of dark brown and gray stone blocks, and gruesome pictures were painted on them. The young Pyromancer hurriedly stepped away from the crack and went back to examining her surroundings.

Aside from the hay and the bucket, there was nothing but a small wooden stool in her cell. Donna's helmet was nowhere to be found, nor were her wand and cards. She sighed, sitting down on the rickety stool and crossing her arms. She briefly considered screaming for help, but realized that if she was in a dungeon, there wasn't likely anyone to come to her rescue- rather, her captors could be nearby. With a frown, the Legendary squinted into the darkness, searching for anyone she could find- other prisoners, perhaps, or maybe someone who could tell her what was going on.

A soft moan from the far corner of the stone room, startling Donna so much that she toppled off her stool with a yelp of surprise.

"Wh- who's there?" She gasped. A growl echoed off the walls. She couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. "Where are you?" The Pyromancer shouted. A high pitched whine was the only response- and finally, Donna saw it in the next cell over.

The creature couldn't possibly be human- maybe it had been, at one point, but no longer. Its pale skin seemed nearly transparent in the dim lighting, and the faint torchlight made a pair of violet eyes glint dangerously. Black rags- once robes, perhaps- hung off the creature's emaciated frame. Long black and violet streaked hair pooled around it, and it bared a set of sharp teeth, stained yellow from lack of cleaning. The thing raised a large, almost paw- like hand and flexed its sharpened nails. A low hiss escaped its throat.

Donna couldn't help herself any longer. She let out a blood curdling scream and scrambled backwards until her spine hit the iron bars. The creature squeaked like a rusty gate, lowering her paw and inspecting the Pyromancer with wide, lamp like eyes. Donna hoped that it meant the creature didn't feel like trying to eat her. However, a moment later, a piercing whistle rang in Donna's ears, and the thing whined loudly again, rolling over on the ground and pressing its hands over its ears. The Legendary heard a cold, cruel laugh and the sound of footsteps on the ground. The laugh's owner stopped just outside the light, shrouding him- or was it a girl? - in shadows.

"I see you've met Blackbird." The voice was undoubtedly feminine.

"Who are you?" Donna whispered. "What do you want with me?"

There was that laughter again. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not as stupid as you might think. I know exactly what happens if I reveal the whole evil plot now." Her tone became sarcastic. "The second I leave this dungeon, you'd find a way to escape, probably 'liberate' my poor, harmless little pet, and then take off to find your friends and tell them every word I've told you. If that happened, I'm pretty sure the plan wouldn't succeed." Donna could almost _sense_ the eye roll.

"Who _are_ you?" The Pyromancer asked again, inching away from the girl.

"Oh, I'm _positive _that you've heard of me," she replied.

"M-Moira …"

"Moira Moonchaser, the one and only." She stepped into the light, giving a mock bow as she did so. The tall girl had short, pure white hair, and her eyes were an eerie shade of red. "Do enjoy your stay here; you won't be leaving any time soon." She turned to leave.

"Wait!" Donna couldn't help but yell after her. "What is that thing?" She pointed shakily to the creature in the next cell, the one Moira had called "Blackbird." The Necromancer smirked.

"Oh, a pet of mine, that's all. I'm sure she won't touch you- if those bars hold." Her laughter echoed through the room as she climbed the stairs. Donna stared fearfully at Blackbird. The creature moaned softly, sitting back up and staring after Moira blankly.

"H-hi there, Blackbird," the Pyromancer began tentatively. "My name is Donna. I'm sev- no. I'm sixteen years old. I don't want to lie anymore, not if … if my life is almost over. I want to make up for the lies. I'm sixteen. I've pretended to be a year older than I really am since I was ten. It was all because I got burned by some of the boys from my pre-magic school, and my parents wanted me to go to Ravenwood a year early to get away from them. I have a really big scar now, and I have to use a crutch and wear a brace. It's okay with me, though; wearing the brace and using the crutch isn't so bad, now that I'm used to it." She looked around for the crutch, only to realize that she had left it on Sasha's saddle when she was rushing to Brooke's rescue. There was no telling where her tiger mount was … or Brooke, or Alexandra, or any of her friends.

She was knocked out of her thoughts when Blackbird made a strange sound, almost like a cross between a chirp and a bark. The creature titled its head sideways and stared at her, and Donna took the motion to mean _continue. _"My best friend's name is Brooke. I've known her since I started school. She's really nice and really good at listening and loves the water, just like I do. She's very serious and quiet all the time. Brooke has always been there if I need her …" Donna's voice caught in her throat, and she felt a tear escape her eye. "I might never see Brooke again." For a long, long time, the Pyromancer cried softly, and the Blackbird listened silently.

-V-

Four days later, Donna's situation changed. She had been talking to the Blackbird more and more over the days, and soon she dropped the word "the," thinking of the strange creature simply as "Blackbird."

"It's more of a name, and you're not a thing. You can listen, and so you deserve to have a name," Donna told Blackbird one day as she tightened the straps on her brace. She'd been thankful that the brace had been brought along; it would have made life very difficult if she had not had the brace.

"That thing is an animal. It deserves nothing more than to be locked in a cage. IT should feel lucky to be alive," a cold voice proclaimed. Donna looked up sharply. Moira was leaning up against the wall just outside the Pyromancer's cell. For the past four days, Donna had seen nothing of the Necromancer. A boy with pale blond hair and pure white robes had tiptoed down, silent as a mouse, to bring food to the two prisoners, but aside from him there had been no sign of other human beings.

"What do you want, Moira?" The venom in her own voice surprised Donna; the cheerful Legendary was rarely able to make herself sound angry.

"I've decided that there's going to be a little … mix up in sleeping arrangements. We'll call it that," the Necromancer chuckled. "Since you and the animal have become such good friends lately, I'm sure you won't mind sharing a cell with her. After all, we've got some new prisoners coming in soon, and there has to be room for everyone."

"Fine. Blackbird won't hurt me; she knows who I am. She knows I don't hate her or think she's stupid." Donna kept her head high and glared defiantly at Moira, who merely smirked and jingled a key ring. She sauntered over to Blackbird's cell and pulled a wand from her pocket.

"Can't have you rebelling while I move you, pet," she said, pointing it at the creature inside the cell. Blackbird howled in pain, throwing herself against the floor and rolling, almost as though she was trying to shake off an attacking animal. Moira quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside, latching an enormously thick chain to a collar around Blackbird's neck. The Necromancer dragged the protesting creature out of the cell and over to Donna's.

"Stop it! You're hurting her!" Donna yelled, standing in anger.

"Don't make me use the spell on you, too. Back up and sit down," Moira instructed. Reluctantly, the Pyromancer did as she'd been told, and Moira unlocked the gate, tossing Blackbird inside and fastening the chain to the door. "There. Now you won't be in quite so much danger. Trust me," she added, "I don't care if you live or die. I just don't feel like cleaning blood off my floor." With a sharp laugh, the Necromancer slammed the door shut and locked it once more.

Blackbird screeched, launching herself against the door and clawing at the bars. She howled loud enough to wake the dead as Moira headed towards the stairs.

"Blackbird! Blackbird, it's okay! Hey, look! It's me, Donna!" The creature turned slowly towards her. Donna smiled what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "Remember me? You used to be in the cell right next to me, but now we're in the same place. It's okay. She's going."For a short moment, Blackbird seemed to have calmed- and then Moira laughed.

The girl's laughter seemed to drive the creature over the edge, because Blackbird shrieked once again, and this time she barreled towards Donna.

"Blackbird!" The Pyromancer screamed, pressing herself flat against the hot stone wall. The creature didn't listen. Within seconds, Blackbird was upon her, and her wide hands were encircling Donna's throat.

Donna suddenly found herself gasping for air, struggling against Blackbird's ever tightening grip. The creature stared back at her with enraged eyes- maybe she had mistaken the Pyromancer for Moira? Donna could faintly hear Moira's protests, but her senses were dulling. Black spots appeared at the corners of her vision. They grew and shrank as she fought for air, but seconds later, there was nothing left but the spots. Colors danced in front of her eyes, and then blurred into pure white. The sounds around her had become nothing more than dim mumbling, and she reached out a hand to touch the wall, as though the searing heat would tie her to consciousness. The white faded away to black- warm, comforting, inviting black- and Donna willingly gave in to it. She let the warmth of the darkness steal her away, and with a sigh, Donna Dragonflame died.

_**A/N: **__ T_T *Is sad* We've still got one more chapter after this one. It will hopefully be considerably less of a downer than this one; I don't know about you guys, but at the moment I'm just feeling rather depressed._


	9. Chapter 9: Dance

_**A/N: **__Thanks to NightSkyWolves for the review! :) I'm glad you liked it! _

_This will be the last chapter. 'Tis a bittersweet chapter; I'm sad that it's over, but happy that I've finally reached the end of it. ^^ _

Donna felt as her senses slowly returned to her. She could smell something familiar … it might have been wet grass, or it might have been her mother's chocolate chip cookies, or maybe even the smell of flowers.

Next she could feel. The ground was soft under her back, and when she clenched her fists weakly, Donna could feel grass. A cool breeze tickled her face and gently stirred her hair.

A birdcall sounded off in the distance, and Donna thought she heard running water.

There was a taste of rain on her tongue.

"Wake up, Donna. You're safe." With a gasp, her eyes flew open and she sat up. In front of the Pyromancer knelt three vaguely familiar people. On the right was a man with hair and eyes the color of fire, dressed in deep crimson and gold robes. On the left was another man, this one with violet eyes and golden hair. In the center sat a woman with pure white hair and shockingly blue eyes. She smiled kindly at Donna.

"You once asked us a question, Donna Dragonflame, and we told you that it was not yet time. Now, that answer has changed. It _is_ time."

For a moment, Donna was confused, looking at her surroundings. The scenery was nearly identical to the Commons, but there was one large difference: there were no people walking around, chatting and complaining and having fun. There were others there, but they were all asleep.

"Why's everyone asleep?" She asked. "Is it nighttime? It's pretty bright here for nighttime. Are there lights or something?" The man dressed in purple and gray laughed a deep, rumbling laugh that reminded her of thunder.

"No, Donna. This is the Holding."

"The Holding?"

"Yes. When someone dies, they must come to the Holding to recover from their injuries and sufferings of life."

"Wait- when they DIE? I'm dead?" Suddenly, in a rush of memories, the Pyromancer remembered her ordeal. She shivered. "Blackbird killed me …" The man in red nodded.

"Yes. Do not hold it against her, though; Kestrel Nightshade knew you, but her evil form that you knew as Blackbird did not know you. She was transformed at birth, and only a special pendant could allow her to live in her true form."

"Oh." She frowned. "You said I met you before … when did I meet you? I don't remember you; were you shopkeepers?" All three people laughed loudly, and Donna only grew more confused. "What?"

"My name is Blizzard. My companions are Blaze and Tempest. It is our duty to escort the dead from the Holding to the world of the Titans. The reason you saw us before was because your soul needed saving. Your soul was in danger the moment those boys committed such a heinous act against you, and so you temporarily awoke in the Holding."

"Oh! Now I remember you!" And she did. Donna had a blurry memory of the three.

"Come, Donna. It is time for us to retrieve our second passenger to the Titan World, and then we will depart. Come." The three stood, and Blaze held out a hand to her. She took it and stood. Surprisingly, she found that she could stand easily, despite not having her crutch. The familiar weight of the brace was also gone. Donna took a few tentative steps. Her limp was gone.

"How-"

"The Holding restores you to full health, Donna. It removes any injury that you may have received during your lifetime. Come with us." Blaze followed the other two, who were already several feet away. Donna ran after them, laughing joyfully. She stopped suddenly, staring down at the other passenger in equal surprise and horror.

"Brooke?" Sure enough, the Diviner's face was clearly recognizable, although Brooke's old scar was completely gone and the young girl seemed completely at peace.

"Shh. Step back, please, Donna; it is best if we explain things to her before you speak with her," Tempest instructed. The Pyromancer nodded and stepped back, wondering what had happened to her friend. The three guides sat in front of Brooke, and Tempest set a hand on the young Diviner's heart. "You are healed, Brooke Swiftriver. **Wake**."

Brooke slowly sat up, looking around and asking where she was. After a short explanation from the three guides, she stood. The Diviner almost immediately noticed Donna.

"Donna …" she whispered, taking a step towards her best friend.

"Hi, Brooke." The Pyromancer smiled cheerfully and waved. A smile slowly spread across Brooke's face. Donna ran to her friend, hugging her as tightly as she could.

-V-

Blaze, Snowstorm and Tempest led the two girls to a wide river. A long, almost flat boat that was painted like a rainbow floated in the river, tied to a tree. Three long poles were propped up against the tree as well.

"Take a seat, girls," Blaze said, nodding towards the boat as he retrieved the poles. The guides stepped into the boat and began silently and swiftly rowing down the river, following the fast moving current.

When they arrived, the girls knew that they were in paradise. The green beauty of the Titan World was nothing like Donna could ever have possibly imagined- soft green grass, beautiful flowers in every color imaginable growing everywhere, tall trees that were thick with dark green leaves, pure streams of water flowing out of the river and into an enormous pond, and _rain_. It wasn't rain like Donna had felt at home- tiny drops of ice cold water- but huge raindrops that were not too cold and not too warm. The sky was light gray and lavender, and it was filled with fluffy clouds. As the Pyromancer looked around at the haven she was in, she knew that there was only one thing to do: dance.

_**A/N: **__Thank you all for reading this story, and I hope you enjoyed it! :) _

_**Special thanks to …**_

_**Ms Amber: **__For being my beta (at least at first ^^) and also for being my first reviewer! You are an awesome person. XD_

_**Scarletfireblaze: **__For being the only person to review just about every chapter, and for being one of the most awesomesauce reviewers I've ever had. :D You rock!_

_And finally …_

_**Poisoned Amethyst **__and __**SOS WILDHAMST3R: **__For having the coolest pen names ever. XD_

_To anyone interested, Donna also appears in all of my Wizard101 fan fictions, and she may or may not be mentioned/make an appearance in The Journey of Fire's Song. ;) Also, if you want to hear about the events after the two girls reach the Titan World, you might want to read Tempest Flame; the ending will have different scenes and be from Brooke's point of view. Once again, thanks for reading! :D_


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